


Gold Ink

by astraplain



Category: Gorgeous Carat
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2017-10-09
Packaged: 2019-01-15 06:15:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12315399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astraplain/pseuds/astraplain
Summary: Ray considers carefully before making the first mark.





	Gold Ink

“Gold ink?” Florian leaned in for a closer look only to back away from Ray’s glare.

“You’re in my light.” Ray dipped his fountain pen into the liquid, planning how to begin.

“Sorry,” Florian said in an undertone. He’d earned Ray’s disapproving looks more than usual the last few days and was hoping to soothe things over before Laila fed them another of her special friendship stews. Florian’s stomach still rebelled at the memory of her last concoction.

“You’re fidgeting.” Ray chided. “Give me your hand and sit still.” Florian complied promptly but felt obligated to remind Ray that he was ticklish. 

“I know,” Ray replied, a smile ghosting his lips before he returned to his task. Pen at the ready, he glanced up again. “This won’t take long. Try not to move.”

Florian nodded once and watched as Ray pushed the loose sleeve of Florian’s robe up, baring his arm to the elbow. With a gentle touch he turned Florian’s hand and pressed it palm-down against the desk.

Long, sure strokes moved the pen across Florian’s wrist leaving a line of gold in its’ wake. It did tickle a little, but it also felt like silken cord, an intimately familiar sensation. Florian bit his lip and looked away. 

“You’ll hurt yourself,” Ray scolded. He needed to re-ink his pen but first he ran a finger over Florian’s bottom lip, gently freeing it from Florian’s bite. “I need your hand still, not your mouth.”

Florian exhaled shakily and Ray smiled, bright with a hint of triumph, as he returned to his task. Extending the golden line on both sides, he then turned Florian’s hand to rest palm-up. Again, the line was continued until only the rough patch over Florian's pulse-point was unmarked. 

Ray held his pen, ready, but unable to complete the circle. 

“Ray,” Florian’s voice was soft and knowing. “Those wounds healed a long time ago.” 

That was the hell of it. Ray himself was the cause of those wounds; injuries Florian sustained while shackled in Ray’s own cellar. All the other marks, made by knife and whip, had healed without a trace but Florian’s wrists had scarred. They were a permanent reminder of how Ray had brought this man into his home and promptly tortured him for information on his family’s legendary diamond. If only he had known then...

With a decisive movement, Ray returned the pen to the ink well and lifted Florian’s hand. He blew across Florian’s wrist, feeling the tremor in Florian’s arm as he reacted but didn’t pull away. Only then did Ray complete the motion and press a kiss to the unmarked space.

He couldn’t place a band, even one of gold ink, around Florian’s finger, but he could give Florian a bracelet without a catch. Not a shackle or a binding – Florian had had too many of those - but a bond, a promise. Freely given, joyfully received, and sealed with a kiss.

::end::


End file.
